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Hairston leads Dodgers' big day with three RBIs

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By Carrie Muskat
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MLB.com |

MESA, Ariz. -- Jerry Hairston Jr. drove in three runs, including a pair on a double in the second, and Brian Barden hit a two-run single in the fifth inning to lift the Dodgers to an 11-7 win over the Cubs on Wednesday.

Dodgers starter Aaron Harang gave up four runs on five hits over two innings.

"First Spring Training game, and I felt like I was having a hard time getting loose again after warming up and then sitting there for I don't know how long it was," Harang said. "I just felt like it took me until the middle of [the first] inning to really feel like I was getting loose."

The Dodgers loaded the bases with two outs in the first and a run scored on a wild pitch by starter Brooks Raley. Chicago then batted around in the first against Harang. Luis Valbuena doubled to lead off and scored one batter later on Anthony Rizzo's single. Rizzo was forced at second on Alfonso Soriano's fielder's choice, and Nate Schierholtz hit an RBI single to give Chicago a 2-1 lead. One out later, Welington Castillo walked to load the bases and Darwin Barney followed with a two-run single.

The Dodgers loaded the bases again in the second against Raley, who was then pulled. Hairston greeted Trey McNutt with a two-run double and Alfredo Amezaga hit an RBI single to tie the game at 4. Hairston then scored on Hanley Ramirez's sacrifice fly.

The Dodgers loaded the bases again in the third, taking advantage of a fielding error by Scott Hairston, Jerry's brother, who muffed Yasiel Puig's fly ball, and Elian Herrera hit an RBI single, Jerry Hairston added a sacrifice fly and Amezaga hit an RBI single, his third hit of the game.

Herrera also had three hits.

Raley, who made five starts for the Cubs last season but spent most of the year at Triple-A Iowa, gave up three runs on four hits and one walk in one-plus innings.

A Cubs run scored on a throwing error by third baseman Omar Luna in the third, and another scored on a throwing error by shortstop Dee Gordon in the fourth.

Alex Castellanos led off the Dodgers' seventh with a home run to open an 11-7 lead.

Cubs shortstop Starlin Castro had to leave in the fourth inning because of tightness in his left hamstring.

Up next: Opening Day starter Clayton Kershaw gets the ball looking to rebound from a rough first start in which he allowed two runs on four hits in two innings. He'll face the crosstown rival Angels in Glendale, Ariz., where the Dodgers are hoping they'll have third baseman Luis Cruz (flu) and outfielder Tony Gwynn Jr. (groin injury) healthy again.